Any primary school teaching assistants here?

[MissBlacksheep]

How did you end up being a TA? What qualifications do you have? What experience did you have before your first TA job?

You might be better off asking this question in The Staffroom?

Volunteering in school whilst doing an NVQ or Cache course is the best way to know whether or not it is for you. Plus you use the knowledge from the volunteering to do your work for the qualification.

I did the volunteering bit, then a few years later the Cache level 2 supporting teaching and learning in schools plus an SEND course but I still just volunteer as I don't want the commitment of being an LSA (Learning Support Assistant) which is what they now call TAs in my school.

You need maths and English GCSE grade C or above too. None of my previous jobs had anything to do with experience for LSAs and all the other people who became LSAs also don't have any childcare or education background. For the school I am in you need to complete an in house 6 day training course before they allow you into the school. It covers policy, safeguarding, confidentiality etc.

My children attended the school so I was known to staff etc before I started. I have been volunteering there over a decade.

Started off as a midday supervisor, then volunteered to do library and readers, I was when asked to do relief in emergencies and I then decided to do my Level 3 TA qualification and I'm now a TA there.